Background Technical Materials
Insecticide resistance / mode of Action
Insecticide resistance management and industry: the origins and evolution of the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) and the mode of action classification scheme
Insecticide resistance challenges the effectiveness of crop protection products and discourages innovation in the sector. To combat this, the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) was formed in 1984, initially focusing on documenting resistance cases. Over time, it has grown into a globally representative body involving companies from over 20 countries. IRAC now plays a proactive role in insecticide resistance management (IRM), offering educational tools like videos, pamphlets, and pest management resources available on its website. A key contribution is the Insecticide Mode of Action (MoA) Classification Scheme, which aids IRM by categorizing insecticides, acaricides, and biologics, with recent expansions to nematicides. This classification, combined with MoA labeling on products, simplifies implementing IRM strategies, ensuring sustainable pest control and industry progress.
IRAC: Mode of action classification and insecticide resistance management
Insecticide resistance is a growing challenge for pest control, threatening the efficacy of current and future products. The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), established in 1984, addresses this issue as a global association of crop protection companies under CropLife International. IRAC focuses on sustainable agriculture and public health by developing and promoting effective insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategies. A cornerstone of its efforts is the Mode of Action (MoA) classification scheme, encompassing over 25 modes of action and 55 chemical classes. This scheme helps identify rotation options, supporting long-term pest control solutions and mitigating resistance risks in agriculture and vector control.
Flavesone: a novel insecticide for the control of urban pests
Flavocide® is based on a beta-triketone molecule, flavesone, that is produced by synthetic chemical means. Flavesone exists in nature in a number of plant species but at low abundance. Initial testing suggests a unique mode of action with potential in addressing the increasing problem of resistance to existing classes of insecticides.
Prevention and management of insecticide resistance in vectors and pests of public health importance
Effective insecticide resistance management (IRM) is essential and the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) is dedicated to making this a reality. The main aims of IRAC are firstly to facilitate communication and education on insecticide resistance and secondly to promote the development of resistance management strategies in crop protection and vector control so as to maintain efficacy and support sustainable agriculture and improved public health. It is IRAC’s view that such activities are the best way to preserve or regain the susceptibility to insecticides that is so vital to effective pest management. In general, it is usually easier to proactively prevent resistance occurring than it is to reactively regain susceptibility.
A Status Report on Insecticide Resistance in Australia
Pesticide resistance is a major threat to the grains industry given the ongoing reliance on chemical control methods, the entrenched resistance in some key species and the recent emergence of resistance in high profile pests such as aphids and red-legged earth mites. Cross‐industry collaboration will be critical to adequately address these issues given all grains pests with resistance cross into either pastures, horticultural and/or cotton crops.
Escalating insecticide resistance in Australian grain pests: contributing factors, industry trends and management opportunities
Insecticide resistance is an ever-increasing problem that threatens food production globally. Within Australia, the grain industry has a renewed focus on resistance due to diminishing chemical options available to farmers and the increasing prevalence and severity of resistance encountered in the field. Chemicals are too often used as the major tool for arthropod pest management, ignoring the potent evolutionary forces from chemical selection pressures that lead to resistance. A complex array of factors (biological, social, economic, political, climatic) have contributed to current trends in insecticide usage and resistance in the Australian grain industry.
Vector Control
Malaria’s impact worldwide
- Globally, an estimated 249 million malaria cases occurred in 2022, leading to 608,000 malaria deaths in a single year.
- Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems, with nearly half of the world’s population at risk for infection.
- In many of the countries affected by malaria, it is the leading cause of death.
Projected impacts on vector borne diseases under climate change
The distribution and abundance of disease vectors, and the transmission of the infections that they carry, are influenced both by changes in climate and by trends such as human population growth and migration, urbanisation, land use change, biodiversity loss and public health measures. There is a high likelihood that climate change will contribute to increased distributional range and vectorial capacity of malaria vectors in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South America (high confidence)
The importance of vector control for the control and elimination of vector-borne diseases
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) such as malaria, dengue, and leishmaniasis exert a huge
burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly affecting the poorest of the poor.
The principal method by which these diseases are controlled is through vector control,
which has a long and distinguished history. Vector control, to a greater extent than drugs or vaccines, has been responsible for shrinking the map of many VBDs
Vector-Borne Diseases of Public Health Importance for Personnel on Military Installations in the United States
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The history of US military medicine dates from the formation of the Continental Army in the 1770s.1 From the inception of our nation, the US military has combated infectious diseases. Today, scientific research programs at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and other institutions are major components in this effort.
Grain Storage & Crop Protection
Potential of flavesone as a grain protectant – dec 2024 journal of stored products research
A study tested the synthetic biopesticide flavesone as a grain protectant against the lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) in wheat, particularly targeting strains resistant to common insecticides like organophosphates and pyrethroids. Wheat treated with flavesone was stored for 13 months under ambient and controlled lab conditions. Results showed that low rates flavesone effectively suppressed the susceptible strain of the borer for 13 months, while untreated wheat saw heavy infestation. However, resistant strains needed higher rates for similar protection. This study underscores flavesone’s potential as a long-term grain protectant, though enhancements in formulation and application methods may improve efficacy.
Bio-Gene Technology presents latest study results of its insecticide product Flavocide™ at the Australian Grain Storage and Protection Conference
Bio-Gene Technology presented the latest study results of its product Flavocide, a nature-identical insecticide compound, versus a range of grain storage pests at the Australian Grain Storage and Protection Conference in Melbourne.
Test results confirmed that Flavocide was effective against both susceptible and resistant strains of lesser grain borer, saw-toothed grain beetle, rusty grain beetle, rice weevil and flour beetle when used in combination with chlorpyrifos-methyl (an organophosphate (OP) from Dow AgroSciences). Further combination testing with deltamethrin (a synthetic pyrethroid (SP) from Bayer CropScience) and Flavocide demonstrated effectiveness in controlling an SP-resistant strain of lesser grain borer.
Crop losses to pests
Crop productivity for human consumption faces significant risks from pests, including weeds, pathogens, and animal pests. Despite crop protection measures, global crop losses remain substantial. Between 2001–2003, potential losses varied by crop, with wheat facing up to 50% loss and cotton over 80%.
Increase in crop losses to insect pests in a warming climate
Insect pests substantially reduce yields of three staple grains—rice, maize, and wheat—but models assessing the agricultural impacts of global warming rarely consider crop losses to insects. We use established relationships between temperature and the population growth and metabolic rates of insects to estimate how and where climate warming will augment losses of rice, maize, and wheat to insects. Global yield losses of these grains are projected to increase by 10 to 25% per degree of global mean surface warming.
Biological Pest Control
Organic vs. Conventional (Synthetic) Pesticides: Advantages and Disadvantages
As part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, choosing a pesticide to control a pest (whether it is a weed, plant pathogen, insect, or vertebrate pest) may be the most appropriate option. When using pesticides, always choose a product that will solve your problem, yet pose the fewest risks to your health, and the health of non-target species and the environment.
Report: Global Biopesticides Market to Exceed USD 7.61 Billion by 2032
In recent years, sustainable agricultural practices have gained significant momentum as global awareness of environmental concerns grows. One such innovation that has risen to prominence is the use of biopesticides. This eco-friendly alternative to traditional chemical pesticides is experiencing tremendous growth, with projections indicating that the biopesticides market will exceed $7.61 billion by 2032. The rising adoption of biopesticides aligns with the increasing demand for organic produce, stringent environmental regulations, and the desire to reduce chemical residues in food.
Impact of natural products on discovery of, and innovation in, crop protection compounds
Natural products (NPs) have long been an important source of, and inspiration for, developing novel compounds to control weeds, pathogens and insect pests. Similar trends also hold true for the impact of NPs on the discovery of new modes of action. The present analysis highlights NPs as a longstanding and continuing source of new chemistry, new MoAs and innovation in crop protection compound discovery.
Pesticidal natural products – status and future potential
There is a long history of using natural products as the basis for creating new pesticides and they are experiencing rapid growth as the products have got better and more science-based, and there are more restrictions on synthetic chemical pesticides. Biopesticides are still a small percentage (approximately US$3-4 billion) of the US$61.3 billion pesticide market. The growth of biopesticides is projected to outpace that of chemical pesticides, with compounded annual growth rates of between 10% and 20%. When integrated into crop production and pest management programs, biopesticides offer the potential for higher crop yields and quality than chemical-only programs. Added benefits include reduction or elimination of chemical residues, therefore easing export, enabling delay in the development of resistance by pests and pathogens to chemicals and shorter field re-entry, biodegradability and production using agricultural raw materials versus fossil fuels, and low risk to non-target organisms, including pollinators.
Other
Pesticides and pest Controls. Integrated Pest Management: innovation-development process
- Pimentel D Pesticides and Pest controls. In: Peshin R, Dhawan AK. (eds). Integrated pest management: innovation-development process, 1:83-87.
Springer Science (2009)
About 3 billion tons of pesticides are applied around the world each year. However, despite this large amount applied each year, pests, insects, weeds and plant pathogens still destroy around 40% of crops.
The official Australian reference guide for organic, synthetic and biological pesticides. The essential role of pesticides in agriculture, environmental conservation and human health
Crop protection products, commonly referred to as pesticides, are essential to maintaining and improving Australia’s agricultural productivity to ensure it can meet future global food security challenges. A Deloitte Access Economics report released in 2018 estimates that up to $20.6 billion of Australian agricultural output (or 73 per cent of the total value of Australian crop production) can be directly attributed to the use of chemical crop protection products. Without access to these tools, Australian farmers face significant losses of up to 80 per cent of their crop to invertebrate pests, weeds and diseases.
Plant-Derived Pesticides as an Alternative to Pest Management and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Prospects, Applications and Challenges
Pests and diseases are responsible for most of the losses related to agricultural crops, either
in the field or in storage. Moreover, due to indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides over the years, several issues have come along, such as pest resistance and contamination of important planet sources, such as water, air and soil. Therefore, in order to improve efficiency of crop production and reduce food crisis in a sustainable manner, while preserving consumer’s health, plant-derived pesticides may be a green alternative to synthetic ones.